Today’s
The World Around Us
will be presented
in Arabic,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Italian,
Japanese, Korean,
Malay, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish
and Thai.

Greetings noble viewers,
and welcome to
The World Around Us.
In today’s episode,
we’ll be visiting the place
where the compassionate
enlightened
Master Jesus Christ
spent the last days of
his physical life in
sacrifice to humankind,
according to
Christian belief.

The site, in the Holy City
of Jerusalem, is now
known as the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, or,
to Eastern Orthodox
Christians, the Church of
the Resurrection.
The Church of
the Holy Sepulchre
was first built by
Emperor Constantine
in 333 after his mother
Queen Helena found
the site of Golgotha,
the place where
Lord Jesus was crucified.

The present-day church
is a restoration done
in the 12th century.
It is now managed
by various
Christian communions,
including
the Roman Catholic,
Armenian Apostolic,
Greek Orthodox, etc,
and is revered as one of
the holiest sites
in Christendom.
The Church of
the Holy Sepulchre
is a magnificent structure
with many altars
and points of interest.
The most important parts
of the church are
probably the last five of
the 14 stations
along the Via Dolorosa,
or the Way of the Cross,
which trace beloved
Jesus’ laborious footsteps.

The exterior appearance
of the church is
characterized by two domes;
the larger dome is over
the round hall where
a burial site of Jesus
is located,
and the smaller dome is
over the Catholicon hall.
Outside the church
is an open courtyard.
During Holy Week,
the week before Easter
celebrating
Jesus’ ascension,
a traditional ceremony of
washing feet is held here.
It commemorates
the event that Jesus Christ
lovingly washed
his apostles’ feet.
This simple ceremony
demonstrates the humble,
serving spirit of
a great person.

As Master Jesus stated,
“You call Me
Teacher and Lord,
and you say well,
for so I am. If I then,
your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet;
you also ought to wash
one another's feet.
For I have given you
an example,
that you should do
as I have done to you.
Most assuredly,
I say to you,
a servant is not greater
than his master; nor is he
who is sent greater
than he who sent him.”

On the north side of the
yard are two entrances.
The left one leads one
into the church.
On the right of these
two entrances
is a stairway leading to
the Chapel of the Franks,
which is
Station Ten of the Cross.
This chapel is believed
to be the place where
Jesus took off his clothes
before crucifixion.

In the church,
there is a stairway
on the right leading
to the second floor
on which there are
two further stations
of the Via Dolorosa.
Station Eleven
of the Cross,
also known as the
Nails of the Cross Altar,
is where the hill of
Golgotha was located.

Located behind the wall
of the Chapel of the Franks,
the nave houses
a Latin Franciscan altar
and features a mosaic
figure of Jesus
in the high ceiling
from the 12th century.
Behind the altar
is another mosaic, which
depicts the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ and a holy
woman at the foot
of the cross.

Next to the Latin Calvary
is the Greek Calvary.
The nave was built
around the actual Rock of
Golgotha found here.
Protected under glass,
the rocky outcropping
can be seen from each
side of the main altar.
Under the altar is a silver
disk with a central hole
through which pilgrims
can touch the stone.
Watching over the altar
are the icons of
the Virgin Mary
and Saint John
the Baptist standing on
both sides of Jesus Christ.

Characterized
by glittering silver
and golden colors
with Greek motif,
the place is imbued with
a unique holy atmosphere.
Indeed, it was at this spot
where Master Jesus
showed his infinite love
and tolerance towards
those who tortured him,
praying to God, “Father,
forgive them, for they
know not what they do.”

This was also the place
where he delivered
his last words: “Father,
into your hands
I commit my spirit!”

At the moment that
Jesus is said to have
breathed his last
upon the cross, there was
a shattering earthquake.
A Roman centurion
witnessed it and exclaimed,
“Truly this was
the Son of God!”

The temblor made
a crack on a rock, which
can be seen through
the glass in the Chapel
of Adam in the church.
The chapel is named
after Adam, the first man
on Earth, because his
relics were found here.

After he was dead,
Jesus was removed
from the cross
and laid on a stone,
which is now known as
the Stone of Anointing.
As recorded in the Bible,
“Then they took the body
of Jesus, and wound it
in linen clothes with
the spices, as the manner
of the Jews is to bury.”

Located right at the
entrance of the church,
the stone commemorates
the preparation of
Jesus’ body for burial.
Visitors kneel there,
touching and
kissing the stone,
to express their reverent
love for Master Jesus.
Above the stone slab
are opulent lamps,
each donated by different
Christian denominations,
including Armenians,
Copts, Greeks and Latins.
Behind the stone
is a wall mosaic,
which depicts Christ’s
preparation for burial.

The final station of
Via Dolorosa is
a small structure that
houses the tomb of Jesus,
which is located
in the center of
the round hall called
Anastasis (Resurrection).
Over the small structure
is the church’s big dome,
which reaches
11 meters in height,
20 meters in diameter,
held aloft by
18 massive columns.

Through a narrow door
on the east side,
visitors are allowed to
enter the inner chamber
of the tomb.
The first room is called
the Chapel of the Angel,
which stores
a piece of the stone used
to seal the tomb
after Jesus’ burial.
It is believed that
after Jesus’ resurrection,
the stone was moved
away by an angel.

As said in the Bible,
“For the angel
of the Lord descended
from Heaven, and came
and rolled back the stone
from the door,
and sat upon it.
His countenance was like
lightning, and his raiment
white as snow.”

The second room
is the tomb of Jesus itself.
A marble lid covers it.
The church also houses
some tombs dating
to the first century,
which serve as a further
evidence supporting
the fact that
this is the actual site
of Jesus’ burial.
Jesus Christ returned
to life three days
after the crucifixion.
When Mary Magdalene
and other disciples
paid visit to the tomb,
they found it empty.
As recorded
in the Gospel of John,

“Now Mary stood outside
the tomb crying.
As she wept,
she bent over to look
into the tomb and
saw two angels in white,
seated where
Jesus’ body had been,
one at the head
and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman,
why are you crying?”
“They have taken
my Lord away,” she said,
“and I don’t know where
they have put him.”
At this, she turned around
and saw Jesus standing
there, but she did not
realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman,
why are you crying?
Who is it
you are looking for?”
Thinking he was
the gardener, she said,
“Sir, if you have carried
him away, tell me
where you have put him,
and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him
and cried out in Aramaic,
“Rabboni!”
meaning “Teacher.”
Jesus said,
“Touch me not, for I
have not yet ascended
to the Father.
Go instead to
my brothers and tell them,
“I am ascending to
my Father and your Father,
to my God
and your God.””

The location where
Mary Magdalene
met Master Jesus
is on the north side
of the rotunda.
There is now
a small Franciscan chapel
dedicated to her.
The chapel is named
“Mi mou aptou,”
meaning “touch me not,”
to commemorate
Christ’s words.

At one point,
Jesus was housed with
two thieves in a prison,
which is located
in the north-east side
of the church.
One of the thieves
repented for his sins,
asking for Jesus’
forgiveness, saying,
“Jesus, remember me
when you come
into your kingdom.”

And Jesus replied,
“Verily I say unto thee,
today shalt thou
be with me in paradise.”

Today, in the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre,
there is a chapel located
on the north side of
the main altar dedicated
to the penitent thief,
Saint Dismas.

Every year
on Holy Saturday,
the day before Easter day,
a miraculous ceremony
of the Holy Fire takes
place in the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre.
The origin of
the ceremony can be
dated to the 4th century.
On that day,
the Greek Orthodox
patriarch enters
the Tomb of Christ alone,
after reciting hymns
and prayers.

Before he enters the chamber,
Jewish Israeli authorities
would make sure
that he doesn’t carry any
means to light the fire.
Then, the congregation
chants the Kyrie prayer
until the patriarch comes
out with white candles
spontaneously lit by
the Resurrection power.
The fire is then
passed to the crowd.
Pilgrims reported
that the Holy Fire did not
burn anything for the
first several minutes
of its appearance.

This concludes
our journey through
the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre
in Jerusalem.
The place reminds us
of the boundless love
and sacrifice of
a living Master
for his disciples
and the whole world.
May all be inspired
and live a spiritual life
as God’s children.

Faithful viewers,
thank you for joining us
on The World Around Us.
Please now stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
Blessed be your pure hearts
and noble deeds.